CAIT
Center for Advanced Infrastructure & Transportation

Rutgers, The StateUniversity of New Jersey

PROJECT OVERVIEW REPORT

  1. Center Identifying Number

TBD

  1. Project Title

Stormwater Management Rule Implementation Process

3.Principal Investigator

Dr. Kenneth Lee

Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Rutgers University

623 Bowser Rd. Piscataway, NJ 08854-8014

Phone: 732-445-2240

  1. NJDOT Principal

W. Lad Szalaj

New Jersey Department of Transportation

1035 Parkway Ave.

Trenton, NJ08625

  1. Project Objective

Based on the requirements of NJDOT we have identified three major objectives. These three objectives are:

Objective 1: Develop a decision process that determines applicable stormwater rules.

Objective 2: Identify appropriate treatment of non-structural and structural stormwater strategies and measures in compliance with Stormwater Rules.

Objective 3:Identify necessary maintenance plans.

  1. Project Abstract

The NJDEP implemented the Stormwater Management Rules N.J.A.C. 7:8 in February 2004 in order to protect the waters of the State from adverse impacts of stormwater runoff. The regulations require projects that disturb one or more acres of land or create at least 0.25 acres of impervious surface to comply with stringent stormwater management standards. These regulations are general in nature, confusing, at times appear to be contradictory, and are difficult to implement within a transportation project. The Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP) Manual developed by the NJDEP provides examples of techniques and various methods to meet the standards, however it requires the designer to be aware of all the applicable NJDEP regulations and select the appropriate stormwater management technique.

Stormwater Management Rule N.J.A.C. 7:8 requires stormwater treatment. The use of manufactured treatment devices has been the most common method of addressing water quality. However the new Stormwater Rules assign removal rates to the treatment techniques and the total removal rate for the stormwater treatment system must exceed 80%. As a result treatment techniques will now have to be combined in a treatment train to create a cumulative total removal of more than 80%.

Stormwater Management Rule N.J.A.C. 7:8 also requires groundwater recharge. The recharge system must include non structural and/or structural stormwater management measures that prevent the loss of groundwater recharge at the project site.

The NJDOT planners, designers and maintenance personnel need a simplified process to navigate the regulations and to narrow down the selection of the most appropriate BMP techniques. A clear understanding and proper selection of the appropriate BMP is extremely critical at the planning and design stages of the project. The selected BMP technique identifies the impact to environmentally sensitive areas, determines the need for additional R.O.W., facilitates a formal agreement with the NJDEP as part of the project development and allows the project manager to estimate the potential cost to the project.

7. Task Descriptions

Phase 1: Literature Search

Phase 2: Research Approach

Task 1 – Comprehensive Literature Review ofexisting stormwater regulations in New Jersey, other states and outside the United States.

Task 2 – Technical panel composed of representatives from various agencies such as the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, the New Jersey Department of Transportation, municipal engineers, county engineers, environmental organizations, consultants and contractors.

Task 3 –Interview key personnel toidentify available treatment techniques, history of use within the department, costs and environmental constraints that effect design, and maintenance considerations.

Task 4 – The outputs of the literature search (Task 1) and interviews (Task 3) will be used to list the known stormwater treatment BMP techniques. For each technique the table will identify flow range, required area, cost, frequency of maintenance, cost of maintenance, removal rates, etc.

Task 5- Regulatory breakdown of individual requirements to restraints that must be met.

Task 6- Selection of case studies to identify projects or parts of projects that exhibit most of the conditions that can be expected to be encountered on highway projects in New Jersey.

Task 7- The outputs from Tasks 4 (The Stormwater Treatment BMP Table) and Task 5 (Regulatory Breakdown) will be used to analyze each regulation requirement and develop a decision process related to it which ends with the selection of a treatment technique or train of treatment techniques.

Task 8- Once the SWD is developed a draft report documenting the decision process will be developed and submitted to the NJDOT. The NJDOT will be given the opportunity to make comments.

Task 9- Development of the electronic stormwater decision process (SWED) to employ a simple user interface to guide the user through the intricate decision process of determining the most appropriate treatment techniques.

Task 10- The draft report, SWED and users manual will be presented and demonstrated to the Technical Panel. Comments from the panel will be recorded.

Task 11- The Final Report, SWED and users manual will be finalized and submitted to the NJDOT.

8. Milestones/Dates

Phase 1: Literature Search

Phase 2: Research Approach

Task 1 Comprehensive Literature Review2/1/2005

Task 2 Technical Panel3/31/2005

Task 3 Interviews3/31/2005

Task 4 Stormwater Treatment BMP Techniques Tables5/30/2005

Task 5 Regulatory Breakdown6/30/2005

Task 6 Case Study Selection7/15/2005

Task 7 Decision Process Development8/31/2005

Task 8 Draft Report9/30/2005

Task 9 Electronic Decision Process10/31/2005

Task 10 Presentation11/30/2005

Task 11 Final Report12/31/2005

9. Yearly and Total Budget

Year One & Total Budget

NJDOT Sponsorship (1/1/2005-12/31/2005)$146,000

10. Student Involvement

One (1) Graduate Student Researchers

One (1) Undergraduate Student Researchers

11. Relationship to Other Research Projects

none to date

12. Technology Transfer Activities

The Final Report, SWED and users manual will be finalized and submitted to the NJDOT. Three days of training on the SWED will be provided at the NJDOT offices. This training will also include stormwater management fundamentals and an overview of the new Stormwater Management Rules to allow more thorough and productive use of the SWED.

13. Potential Benefits of the Project

  • Technical memorandum detailing the literature search findings.
  • Stormwater Treatment BMP Table. For each technique the table will identify flow range, required area, cost, frequency of maintenance, cost of maintenance, removal rates, etc
  • The stormwater decision matrix or SWD will be created.
  • Final Technical memorandum documenting the SWD.
  • Final Version of the SWED.
  • Final Users Manual
  • Technical Memorandum outlining the training course.
  • Three days of training at the NJDOT offices.

14. TRB Keywords

Stormwater, Planning, Design, Maintenance, Environment

15. TRB Code Words

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

623 Bowser Rd.Piscataway, NJ08854-8014

Tel: 732-445-0579 Fax: 732-445-0577

Use-of-LED-of-Other-New-Technology-to-Replace-Standard-Overhead-and-Sign-Lighting.docPage 1